Largest piece of Mars found on Earth sells for millions, sets new auction record
... And the $5.3 million Mars rock wasn’t even the top-selling item at the event.
A 25 kilogram Mars rock named NWA 16788 that was discovered in Niger’s Sahara Desert by a meteorite hunter in 2023 has exceeded expectations at a recent Sotheby’s auction, selling for $5.3 million, the Associated Press (AP) reports. It has set a new auction record for a meteorite.
Experts estimated it would sell for between $2 million and $4 million.
The buyer’s identity is unknown. Their final bid was for $4.3 million, with the final cost totalling an additional $1 million due to “fees and costs,” AP says.
A significant discovery
The rock, which was dislodged from Mars following an asteroid strike, travelled 225 million km to reach Earth.
“NWA 16788 is approximately 70 per cent larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth,” reads a statement on the Sotheby’s website.
“Pieces of Mars are unbelievably rare: of the more than 77,000 officially recognized meteorites, only 400 are Martian meteorites, with an approximate combined weight of 374 kg. Weighing 24.67 kilograms, NWA 16788 represents approximately 6.5 per cent of all Martian material currently known.”
Sotheby’s says the meteorite is covered in a reddish-brown crust, giving it an “unmistakable Martian hue”:
“Regmaglypts, or surface depressions formed by frictional heating during rapid descent through Earth’s atmosphere, are also visible on the surface of the meteorite. NWA 16788 shows minimal terrestrial weathering, indicating that its physical and chemical makeup have not been significantly altered since its arrival in the Sahara Desert. In other words, NWA 16788 is likely a relative newcomer here on Earth, having fallen from outer space rather recently.”
NWA 16788 (pictured here) is approximately 70 per cent larger than the next largest piece of Mars found on Earth. (Sotheby's)
How meteorites can help us understand Earth’s atmosphere
Meteorites like NWA 16788 help scientists better understand the ancient Martian environment, including finding evidence of water or atmosphere in Mars’ distant past.
"While robotic missions to Mars continue to shed light on the planet's history, the only samples from Mars available for study on Earth are Martian meteorites," Lauren White, a systems engineer at NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory said in 2014.
Some meteorites also carry clues about Earth’s own climate and atmosphere when they’re recovered, especially when their chemical interactions with Earth’s environment are analyzed.
Dinosaur skeleton prompts bidding war
The Martian rock wasn’t the top seller at the auction. That distinction goes to a rare dinosaur skeleton, which prompted a bidding war, eventually selling for $30 million. The specimen is one of only four known Ceratosaurus nasicornis skeletons, and it is the only known juvenile skeleton. The species resembles the T. Rex, but smaller.
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Header image: NWA 16788 (Sotheby's)